


And Even When Your Hope Is Gone

by MeredithBrody



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Episode Tag, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-15
Updated: 2013-07-15
Packaged: 2017-12-20 07:46:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/884762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeredithBrody/pseuds/MeredithBrody
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erika realises that Jon is depressed, so decides to make sure that he opens up to someone. (Episode tag for "Home")</p>
            </blockquote>





	And Even When Your Hope Is Gone

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sokorra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sokorra/gifts).



> This little ficlet was inspired by the fantastic Sokorra, my partner-in-crime in all things Jorika.
> 
> Also the title is inspired by the song "Move Along" by All-American Rejects

There had been so many things that had caused her to worry about Jonathan's state of mind since she'd seen him the night before. It wasn't often that they had drunk together in the last few years, since they had broken up when he'd been given the captaincy of _Enterprise_. His letters over the last few months had gotten progressively darker, and she had known that he was having some issues with post-traumatic stress. Not that he would ever term it that way. He would tell her that all her worries were pointless. But she wasn't so sure. She had always known the optimistic, outgoing and cheerful Jonathan Archer. She had seen him on his worst days before, on the days where he had sat thinking about his father or how many times the project had almost been cancelled before _Enterprise_ 's construction had begun.

Maybe she had had this naive hope that he would still be the man she'd always known when he'd returned from deep space. That was definitely a naive hope, and not something she should have counted on. It had been shaken out of her with the letters, and then last night- They had spoken like they always had on the Project, before they had gotten involved. He had walked her home and kissed her cheek. She had seen more than a touch of the man he'd once been, but she had also found herself worried by the depression that had seemed to settle on him whenever they hadn't spoken about something light.

She'd gone into the briefing expecting to hear more of the same from Soval, she had been on many of the debriefing panels, that was her job until _Columbia_ was ready to launch. To work as the NX crews liaison to command, to audit briefings and debriefings. She hadn't been disappointed either, Soval had been his usual righteous ass and for the first time she could remember Jonathan hadn't settled for it. While it was obvious that Forrest and the other Admirals hadn't appreciated his outburst, she'd silently been impressed that he had lasted as long as he had. 

She had known exactly where he'd go once Forrest had told him to take a vacation. It was somewhere they'd always gone whenever they'd had a bad week. Spend the weekend climbing to get away from all that Starfleet or their colleagues or even the media had caused. So here she was, walking to his usual staging point. Would he be angry that she had invited herself along on this trip? Probably. But it would be worth it. She knew out of experience that Jonathan shouldn't be left alone when he was like this. It wouldn't end well, for any of them. 

So she stopped a few metres from where she knew he was, she could hear him humming to himself, another habit she remembered well. A way for him to let the annoyance out without screaming at someone else. He was more predictable to her than he liked to admit, and he did need company, so she clambered up the rise and almost grimaced at the twig she broke, bringing his attention to her, and making her realise exactly how much he had changed. In the past he would have welcomed her arrival, today however, he glared up at her.

"Mind if I ask what you're doing here?" He almost growled in her direction, and it was at that point when she couldn't quite suppress a smile. He was trying so desperately to look and sound angry, but she was sure that he just needed a release, and maybe being the annoying shit that she could be would help him break through and talk about what was on his mind.

"You know better than to go climbing without a partner." She grinned again, and saw his scowl as he looked away from her. It didn't surprise her that he was annoyed, a little, at her appearance. He continued coiling his lines, something she had already made sure to do. She watched him a few minutes more before climbing down to stand beside him. "Honestly though, Jonathan. You don't need to be alone right now, so like it or not, I'm coming along with you." She said forcefully, using all her experience of commanding missions alongside him to help her sound, well, commanding. It wasn't something she was used to doing, not with Jonathan at least. She'd never needed to use it with him before. 

"Are you sure you want to do this, Erika. I'm not the best person to be around right now." He replied, and she rested a hand on his arm with a gentle smile. Hoping that would at least show him that she knew what she was getting into, but she wanted to be there for her friend. She started pulling her lines out of her bag, then smiled up at him again.

"That's never stopped me before Jon. Lets get going." She smiled and held an arm out to him, allowing him to go first. Certain that no matter what, this was going to be one of their more interesting climbing trips.


End file.
